Grade der Schriftbeherrschung und subjektiver Lernerfolg bei Teilnehmenden an Alphabetisierungskursen

Low literacy in the adult population has been subject of a broad range of studies in Germany in recent years. The main learning opportunities provided for low literates are courses where reading and writing skills are taught at a basic level. The outcome in terms of improved reading and writing capacity were not a focus of discussion by now. The article presents empirical data showing that there are positive though limited effects of participation in such courses. Additionally, participants’ subjective assessments of their learning achievements are provided. Implications of findings are discussed.     

Working-class students,habitus, and the development of student roles: a Canadian case study

As their numbers at university grow, we need to gain a better understanding of the different ways in which working-class students negotiate their potential outsider status in what is often considered an essential middle-class institution. Based on data from a four-year longitudinal, qualitative study of working-class students at a Canadian university, I argue that their acceptance of the ends and means of both the academic and social demands of university contributes to the development of different student roles, which in turn affects their likelihood to succeed academically. Drawing on works by Bourdieu and Bernstein, I present four case studies of students who lived through university committed, alienated or in transition toward either commitment or alienation. I show that despite similar working-class backgrounds, study participants’ reaction to university was anything but predictable. Instead, prior socialization, clear and realistic career goals, and chance encounters at university played an important role in their approach to university life.     

Writing about the past: the impact of different authentic instructional material on students’ argument writing in history

European Journal of Psychology of Education - Recent research has repeatedly raised the question of how the authenticity of learning material affects learning outcomes. This question is...     

‘Go west young man!’ Youth apprenticeship and opportunity structures in two Canadian provinces

Most Canadian provinces offer high-school apprenticeships to facilitate students’ transitions to skilled work and address employers’ concerns about labour shortages. Using interview data with graduates from high-school apprenticeships in Alberta and Ontario, we analyse the impact participation in these programmes has had on their educational and occupational pathways. Findings show the importance of opportunity structures on the employment and education trajectories of young apprentices. High demands for skilled workers in Alberta, associated with the province’s exploration of large oil sands deposits, are contrasted with a contracting labour market in Ontario, which is more dependent on employment in the service and manufacturing sectors. Findings show that economic conditions and the availability of post-secondary alternatives affect young people’s decisions to enter and persist in apprenticeships. We also argue, however, that tighter regulatory frameworks are required to protect young people in apprenticeships from exploitative practices.     

Effects of hyperoxia during recovery from 5×30-s bouts of maximal-intensity exercise

We test the hypothesis that breathing oxygen-enriched air (F(I)O(2) = 100%) maintains exercise performance and reduces fatigue during intervals of maximal-intensity cycling. Ten well-trained male cyclists (age 25 ± 3 years; peak oxygen uptake 64.8 ± 6.2 ml · kg(-1) · min(-1); mean ± s) were exposed to either hyperoxic or normoxic air during the 6-min intervals between five 30-s sessions of cycling at maximal intensity. The concentrations of lactate and hydrogen ions [H(+)], pH, base excess, oxygen partial pressure, and oxygen saturation in the blood were assessed before and after these sprints. The peak (P = 0.62) and mean power outputs (P = 0.83) with hyperoxic and normoxic air did not differ. The partial pressure of oxygen was 4.2-fold higher after inhaling hyperoxic air, whereas lactate concentration, pH, [H(+)], and base excess (P ≥ 0.17) were not influenced. Perceived exertion towards the end of the 6-min periods after the fourth and fifth sprints (P < 0.05) was lower with hyperoxia than normoxia (P < 0.05). These findings demonstrate that the peak and mean power outputs of athletes performing intervals of maximal-intensity cycling are not improved by inhalation of oxygen-enriched air during recovery.     

Entrepreneurship in Higher Education: The impact of competition‐based policy programmes exemplified by the German Excellence Initiative

Competition‐based policy programmes are an external steering mechanism to create beneficial outcomes for societies that are entering the Continental European Higher Education landscape. The Excellence Initiative in Germany aimed to enhance research quality, international visibility and support peak performing universities. We want to study if there was a side effect of the Initiative on academic entrepreneurial activity and if so, whether or not it was a system‐wide and/or a winners effect. We measure entrepreneurial activity by the patenting activity and industry collaboration of a university. The analysis is based on 73 German universities observed from 2004 to 2011. Employing a difference‐in‐differences estimation, we find that the Initiative created an advantage for the whole of Germany while being an Excellence University does not have an impact on academic entrepreneurship with regards to patenting activity. However, we find a Matthew effect concerning rewards in industry collaboration. We conclude that the Initiative had positive side effects for the system and partly also for the winners of the competition.     

Measuring Mathematical Competences of Engineering Students at the Beginning of Their Studies

This article reports about our efforts to determine engineering students' competence in mathematics. Our research is embedded in a larger project, KoM@ING–Modeling and developing competence: Integrated IRT based and qualitative studies with a focus on mathematics and its usage in engineering studies, within the program Modeling and Measuring Competencies in Higher Education (KoKoHS). KoKoHS provides the umbrella organization of several research projects addressing the modeling and measuring of competences at the college level. KoM@ING aims to model the role of engineering students' mathematical competences for their studies from both a quantitative and a qualitative perspective.

Here, we report the development of a large-scale instrument assessing engineering freshmen's competence in mathematics by applying Rasch analysis to determine measures for item difficulties and student abilities. Several analyses were performed to provide insights into the measures' reliability and validity. In particular, to examine cognitive validity, we scrutinized students' think-aloud protocols when solving the items to investigate their problem solving abilities as a proxy for item difficulty. Overall, we found first evidence that our instrument is suitable to assess engineering freshmen's competence in mathematics. This instrument may be helpful to conduct further research and to inform those concerned with college organization and policy.     

THE EXPERIENCE AND THE PROJECTS OF THE DRESDEN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY WITH REGARD TO INTERNATIONAL STUDENT EXCHANGE

The Dresden University of Technology takes part in various international student exchange programmes as part of the overall policy of the German Democratic Republic in favour of international understanding and co‐operation. Various kinds of student exchange and travel programmes are offered, and the ambition of the university is to generalize them so that all graduates will have completed some of their academic work abroad. The author cites the example of his institution's programme of promotion classes for talented students as being particularly valuable for the involvement of research‐oriented honours students in exchange projects. Yet he also argues that average students too should be involved in student exchanges.     

A Survey of State Teacher-Competency Examination Programs

As compared to the 1987 "wall chart" issued by U.S. Secretary of Education William J. Bennett and to other recent reports on teacher testing, this article by Lehmann and Phillips provides considerably more detail on the nature of teacher testing. On the basis of a survey of all the states, the authors provide an analysis of what areas are covered in teacher tests, exactly which tests are used, and how the tests are used in both current and planned state teacher testing programs.